This pet (Magoo) enables a very simple interface targeted at small net books running with a resolution of 1024x600 where it will almost fill the screen. It is also suitable for larger monitors and indeed does not look out of place on a 1920x1080 panel. (See screen-shots) It is lightweight and similar to "Eldy" but does not require Java or registration. In essence it is just a program launcher.

It is based on an original idea (Noob) by forum member Lobster whose code provided the starting point. His 2009 post can be found here:

3. If you use a small net book you may wish to set your JWM taskbar to auto hide in order to maximise your real estate.
(Desktop/JWM configuration manager/tray management/tray auto hide option/---turn on)

Final thoughts:

1. Advanced users with poor vision may wish to forgo the two large blue shutdown buttons and substitute programs of their choice. Icons and scripts for Umplayer and RSS Tickr are already built in so changing icons for them just requires simple edits to the menu files (noob_front_end / noob_back_end). The Tickr-0.6.0 pet can be found here:

2. Greengeek and I are considering issuing an ISO for those who favour a ready made solution OOTB. "Magoo Pup - The Puppy with a 10-foot user interface" would be based on a future official release of Puppy and would include Skype/Fontwizard/Magoo plus some conservative themes, wallpaper and font tweaks. It would be suitable for use by the elderly.

3. Information on Skype4 ( pet/sfs/static) can be found in this thread:

I am interested in "Magoo Pup" because you have done some testing with it on a Netbook. If you were to include this with a "future official release of Puppy" can you think of any further changes, modifications, tweaks that might be necessary so that it would be optimized for a Netbook?

Disclosure: I bought my wife a Netbook 3.5 years ago and it runs Windows XP. When XP support ends in 18 months or so, I would like to try converting the Netbook (and my wife) to run a distro that has been designed to run on a Netbook... @ 1024 X 600 screen resolution. I like the desktop interface --not that my wife is elderly at this point but because I think it better suits the smaller screen for navigation and covers most of the basics in terms of her computer usage.

Her netbook has the usual hardware: ethernet, wireless, built-in webcam, and bluetooth I think... Hmmm, I don't even know at the moment to what extent Puppy supports bluetooth... Interestingly, the webcam includes face recognition software that can be set up for login purposes... not a necessity obviously, and I have no idea whether any such technology is being actively developed for linux based operating systems.

So... what are your thoughts on setting up a Puppy Netbook?

Thanks,
Monsie_________________My username is pronounced: "mun-see". Derived from my surname, it was my nickname throughout high school.

Thanks for your interest. Your biggest issue may be “converting” your wife. We all tend to cling on to the familiar. She therefore must be the final arbiter. There is however, plenty of time left to find an existing Pup (or one yet to emerge) that suits the hardware on your wife’s particular Net-book.

The fact that this does not require Java is a major plus in my opinion. I consider that Java is a significant risk to data security and it is great that Magoo does not use it. I think Magoo is becoming a very useful tool for helping certain groups to have a comfortable and competent computing experience. I'm getting quite a buzz out of watching my elderly father get hands-on with a computer for the first time ever.

I await future developments with great interest and believe an iso version would be a great way to tailor the full Magoo experience into an easy and reliable package that needed minimal reconfiguration or additional pets.

Further testing has shown that whilst the MK7 pet is fine on 13 inch screens and above, netbook users may prefer something a little less imposing.

Attached below therefore is the MK129 pet specifically for netbooks. It is smaller and simpler in that there is only one menu. A menu item off desktop has been added to re-launch the Magoo interface if it is closed.
A v6 ISO that includes this new pet will also be offered. [Magoo (Netbook) Pup v6 ISO] http://murga-linux.com/puppy/viewtopic.php?p=671472#671472

Edit 28th March 2013 (Previous upload was corrupt)
The Magoo-MK129 pet is now available on my server:

Restarting the One-Switch project, the price points and hardware for ultra low cost computers are where they need to be.. most like base it off quirky April T2 built. Could you be available for testing and belping the 10ft or more interface with the one switch code? Have the hardware on order 50 usd so far. One question is what country do you live in? and what is the handicap device RF bands in your country? you can PM me answer.. USA is just under FM radio and share broadcast TV bands ( very low powered )

thing three: since it (just about) uses real language to launch things, and since the language that interferes with the code can be commented out but still used to give and gain guidance, and since the text can be made absolutely enormous, and since it's possible that if they've waited this long to get into computers, they won't be feeling the lack of icons, perhaps the geany line launcher can be used to help make puppy friendlier for those whose visual acuity or general ease with computers is lacking.

fwiw, i mirrored your rapid pup, but since we both use google drive, i think it's more like a link unless for whatever reason yours is taken down. you make some impressive stuff/you've got skills, man.

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